Industrial batteries are used in many places where conventional power lines do not extend or are otherwise not appropriate. Such industrial batteries may generally contain assembled in a casing, anywhere from six to sixty-four cells, each of which includes a positive and negative terminal, pole, or post extending upwardly therefrom. The cells are grouped, then the positive and negative terminals are connected from one cell to the next in a selected pattern so that a desired voltage may be obtained from the industrial battery. Such batteries have been in use for quite a while, and the batteries themselves are not the subject of the present invention.
Certain problems presently exist with such batteries which are difficult to solve. Firstly, it is desired to protect the terminals and intercell connecting links from metallic objects which might fall thereon from above. Such metallic objects lying across the top of the battery would probably tend to short out the cells of the battery or cause considerable damage. Also, in certain environments such as in coal mines it is necessary to keep the dust that is present in the atmosphere and the acid from within the battery from combining which makes the possibility of fires and/or explosions more likely.
Although it is desired to protect the terminals and intercell connecting links, it is also necessary to keep the poles accessible to probes for periodically taking readings and making tests.
Prior attempts to solve these problems include the pouring of tar or an asphalt base material (known as Goulds' Safety Seal) across the entire upper surface of the industrial battery. First of all tar or asphalt base material is very difficult to remove as it adheres to everything it touches in the top of the battery. Oftentimes it is necessary to remove the encapsulating material to make repairs or to replace selected cells. Further, with the material poured over the entire top of the industrial battery it is difficult to locate selected poles leading from cells in order to take readings therefrom. Even further, once the pole of the cells is located if a probe is extended through the tar or asphalt base material to engage the cell when it is removed a hole remains. After several of such readings are taken (and these readings are taken often) the sealing and protection offered by the encapsulating material is lost.